PARTNER STORY

OPPORTUNITY

To improve sound quality with a cost-

effective solution, Brex Arena Utsunomiya

decided to replace their aging sound system

and rented loudspeakers with a new,

state-of-the-art system.

SOLUTION

Hibino Corporation outfitted the stadium

with an end-to-end HARMAN Professional

Solutions audio system featuring JBL

Professional loudspeakers, Crown

amplifiers and BSS processors.

BREX ARENA UTSUNOMIYA, JAPAN

Constructed in 1979, Brex Arena is Utsunomiya’s premier stadium and gymnasium.

Home to the Utsunomiya Brex, a Japanese professional basketball team on the

B.League, Brex Arena features two gyms with courts for basketball, table tennis,

volleyball and badminton, as well as a dedicated space for practicing martial arts. To

provide additional sound coverage for professional basketball games, Brex Arena was

renting temporary loudspeakers to supplement their aging sound system for each

event. Deciding it would be more cost-effective and significantly improve sound quality

to upgrade the system, Brex Arena hired AV integrators Hibino Corporation to install a

state-of-the-art JBL Professional networked audio solution.

“The previous sound system was as old as the arena itself, and was not delivering the

desired performance,” said the salesperson for Hibino Corporation. “In the arena, people

could feel the volume differences depending on their location, which made it impossible to

achieve balanced sound quality throughout the stadium. This left much to be desired by both

the stadium officials and the fans. Ultimately, we decided that the JBL VRX series speakers

would be best suited for the task, due to their powerful and reliable sound output.”

Hibino Corporation equipped Brex Arena with JBL VRX900-Series Constant Curvature

line array loudspeakers to deliver clear, intelligible sound throughout the venue.

Leveraging patented JBL technology and components, VRX900-Series speakers deliver

class-leading performance in a compact, affordable package. To ensure balanced, even

coverage in every seat, Hibino Corporation supplemented the system with JBL AM5212

loudspeakers, which offer excellent pattern control and off-axis response. To provide

powerful low-end reinforcement for pre-game music, Hibino Corporation selected JBL

VRX918S subwoofers for their extended low-frequency output. The system is powered by

Crown DCi 4|1250 amplifiers and routed through BSS BLU-160 signal processors.

“We required a substantial upgrade to our existing sound system,” said the spokesperson

for Brex Arena. “The system had to be powerful enough to deliver clear, balanced

audio throughout the venue. It had to be dynamic too, as the requirements vary with

“ Ultimately, we decided that the

JBL VRX series speakers would

be best suited for the task, due

to their powerful and reliable

sound output.”

STADIUMS & ARENAS

each event. We are very satisfied with the solutions provided by Hibino. The output is

incredibly powerful and the entertainment value of the games has significantly improved.

In addition, the new system has reduced time and labor costs for loading and unloading

temporary speakers.”

“The project at the Brex Arena required an engaging and dynamic sound setup to match

the intensity of the games and the fans,” said Ramesh Jayaraman, VP & GM, HARMAN

Professional Solutions, APAC. “We’d like to thank our partner Hibino for integrating the

appropriate equipment for the project and for designing the system with future demands

in mind.”

PRODUCTS USED

BSS BLU-160 SIGNAL PROCESSORS

CROWN DCI 4|1250 AMPLIFIERS

JBL VRX900 LOUDSPEAKERS

JBL VRX918S SUBWOOFERS

JBL AM5212 LOUDSPEAKERS

© 2020 HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated. All rights reserved. Harman Kardon, Inf inity, JBL, Lexicon and Mark Levinson are trademarks of HARMAN International Industries, Incorporated, registered in the United States and/or other countries. AKG is a trademark of AKG Acoustics GmbH, registered in the United States and/or other countries. Features, specif ications and appearance are subject to change without notice.

ABOUT HARMAN

HARMAN (harman.com) designs and engineers connected products and solutions for

automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, including connected car systems,

audio and visual products, enterprise automation solutions; and services supporting the

Internet of Things. With leading brands including AKG®, Harman Kardon®, Infinity®, JBL®,

Lexicon®, Mark Levinson® and Revel®, HARMAN is admired by audiophiles, musicians

and the entertainment venues where they perform around the world. More than 50

million automobiles on the road today are equipped with HARMAN audio and connected

car systems. Our software services power billions of mobile devices and systems that are

connected, integrated and secure across all platforms, from work and home to car and

mobile. HARMAN has a workforce of approximately 30,000 people across the Americas,

Europe, and Asia. In March 2017, HARMAN became a wholly-owned subsidiary of

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

CONTACT

For PR Inquiries:

David Glaubke

Director, Public Relations

HARMAN Professional Solutions

david.glaubke@harman.com

+1 (818) 895-3464 Office

+1 (818) 470-7322 Mobile

FOR APAC

RV Ramachandran

Marketing Director - Asia Pacific

HARMAN Professional Solutions

108 Pasir Panjang Road

#02-08 Golden Agri Plaza

Singapore 118535

TEL No: +65-6870-5000

DID No: +65-6870-5092

Mobile: +65-9146-2464

Email: RV.Ramachandran@harman.com

“ We are very satisfied with the

solutions provided by Hibino.

The output is incredibly powerful

and the entertainment value

of the games has significantly

improved.”